Described herein are systems and methods for recovery of process gas(es) that are used in the manufacture of an object, such as for example, helium (He). Also described herein are systems and methods that recover and then reuse the process gas for manufacturing an object.
Helium (He) is a process gas that is used in the manufacture of a variety of objects. Because the gas is inert, has extreme melting and boiling points, and has high thermal conductivity, it is suitable for use in the manufacture of a variety of objects such as optical fibers, high-energy accelerators and silicon wafer manufacturing and for certain processes such as arc welding. While He is the second must abundant element in the Earth's atmosphere, the majority of He in the atmosphere bleeds off into space. Helium gas that is used for industrial purposes is obtained as a by-product of natural gas production.
Because helium was critical to military reconnaissance and space exploration in the mid-20th Century, Congress mandated that the government encourage private helium producers nationwide to sell their helium to the government as part of the Federal Helium Program. The United States alone produces 75 percent of the world's helium. Nearly half of that total, or roughly 30 percent of the world's helium supply, comes from the U.S. Federal Helium Reserve. The federal government, which sets helium prices, announced in April that helium prices would spike from $75.75 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in FY 2012 to $84 per Mcf in FY 2013. This price spike, along with an uncertain federal policy is threatening to create a shortage.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a method, system, apparatus or combinations thereof for capturing process gas(es), such as without limitation, helium, and/or other process gases to be reused and/or recycled in a production process. There is a need in the art to reduce the costs of process gas which are delivered to a production tool. There is a further need in the art to reduce the waste of process gas(es) that are used in the production process.